Tuesday, July 12, 2011

07/09- 500 (1000) Meter Open Water Swim (Test)

I didn't quite make it into the pool for my Thursday "on your own" swim because of thunderstorms and decided to save my energy on Friday for the Epic workout I would have on Saturday for our open water swim test at Lucky's Lake Swim. 500 hundred meters each way... I could barely sleep Friday night because my nerves got worse with every passing hour.

Ibelis made me breakfast in the morning and drove me to the lake. It was a nice morning for a swim, and from the beach, looking across the lake; it didn't seem all that far. "I can do this.” I told myself.

When we finally got into the water, Coach Ryan and Coach Beth stayed close to me, I felt good at the start, but the feeling didn't last too long... The second I started breathing heavily, the nervous energy returned, which as it turns out just makes it EVEN more difficult to breathe. I found myself scanning the water for Coach Beth and the red buoy of salvation. That wouldn't be the last time I found myself doing the same during this swim.

Coach Beth, merciful as she is, gave me a reference point... a floating red buoy in the middle of the lake. I'm quite goal oriented and the marker gave me something to aspire to... I made it there; then she said "Okay, time to head back to the cabana." Oy...

Another few reaches for the red buoy of salvation and a bit of zigzagging later as I was still pulling to the right, I was about 50 meters out from where I started (By the way, I just learned that zigzagging is a real word). "Let go, we've got 50 more meters, you've done this a hundred times, you can do it in your sleep" Coach Beth was shouting... Meanwhile my brain was shouting at me "Why the heck are we doing this, I can't breathe!", and my arm screamed "I'm NOT letting go, you're crazy!!!". "C'mon, you can puke when we get there". How did she know? I let go and swam for dear life, I could se Coach Beth next to me and it helped, I would stop when she did.

The next thing I heard was her telling me to watch out, I looked up and saw people standing, I warily let my feet fall and was relieved to finally feel solid ground. I stumbled up and just sat. My head was pounding, my lungs burned and my legs were weak. I just wanted to lie down. Coach Beth, always the awesome coach she is told me to get up and have myself a recovery drink. I pulled myself together and got up to get myself a Mix 1.

By the way, if you haven’t yet, you should try this stuff... It's amazing like a perfect smoothie with just about everything you need before or after a workout, or anytime really. I say this as I hold up a mental sign saying, "Will work for Mix 1".

Now back from our commercial break...

I asked Ibelis to accompany me to the restroom. I could barely walk, it felt like someone was hammering a nail between my eyes and my stomach was doing cartwheels. I had to sit halfway there. I got my relief after a while and returned to the group to fill out paperwork... I still wasn't feeling 100% but the worst was over...

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About Me

I'm training to participate in an endurance event: The Nation's Triathlon on September 11th, 2011 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of my Dear Grandfather who battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are real heroes.
We lost my Maternal Grandfather in October, 1998; he was a driving force in making me the man I am today. A family man, a sage, a teacher and a friend; "Maas Cannon" or Cannonball as friends and family knew him was always larger than life to me... the kind of man I wanted to be. He fought his six year battle with leukemia with unbelievable spirit and with the dignity of a great man. I will always carry him with me in my heart and mind and the day I cross the finish line of the Nations Triathlon will be no different.
Please make a donation to support
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/nattri11/jmichelz3y